An update on the impact of emergency distress beacons on Canadian search and rescue flying times

In Canada, a large number of search and rescue (SAR) missions are caused by accidential activation of emergency beacons. In addition, the emergency beacons do not function as they should in several aircraft crashes. Data from all SAR cases in Canada from January 1995 to December 1997 was screened and analysed. A similar study had been conducted in 1995. These studies both conclude that significant savings could be realized if crash survivable 406MHz beacons were introduced for use in the aviation community. Moreover, the data shows that several lives were lost due to the lack of activation of the emergency beacons.